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By mlb, on August 22nd, 2006%
I know! Blasphemy! Burgers without cheese is crazy talk. But these burgers don’t even need any cheese. Really. Besides, what kind of cheese would work here? The only kind I could think of was cream cheese. But again, no need. These burgers are great just like this.
I played with the herbs here — the original called for 1/4 cup mint, 1/4 cup basil and 1/4 cup cilantro. I used about 1 tbsp mint, 1/4 cup basil and 1/3 cup cilantro. I also add a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce. The original recipe is from Gourmet Magazine.
The burgers are garnished with a Asian cucumber slaw, just like the one I usually serve with Seared Tuna.
For pickled cucumbers
1/2 an English cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp pickled ginger (optional) — if you have a container of sushi lying about, use the ginger in there
A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Mix everything together. Taste and add more of any of the above if needed. Set aside (in the fridge) until ready to eat.
For burgers
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 slices firm white sandwich bread or two baguette slices or plain breadcrumbs
1 pound . . . → Read More: Southeast Style Asian Turkey Burgers (with No Cheese!)
By mlb, on August 20th, 2006%
This was a meal that exceeded my expectations. I’m not sure why, because I typically love halibut but the salsa was surprisingly good as well. Very fresh and tropical tasting. I ended up using a whole pineapple, as I knew we’d eat the rest during the week but I think canned pineapple would work too. So, go ahead and use that if you have some.
For the glaze, I used my trusty bottle of Ginger People Chili-Ginger Sauce. Because I have some and because I like it a lot. You could certainly make your own chile-ginger glaze, I’m sure, so do that if you are so inclined. You could also use a different brand of bottled sauce or just use some olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and a few red pepper flakes on the fish and grill it just like that! I’d even try rubbing it with a little fresh ginger before drizzling it with the oil. Really, the most important aspects of this meal are the halibut and the salsa.
Chili-Ginger Grilled Halibut with Fresh Pineapple Salsa
2 6-8 oz halibut fillets
1/3 cup chili-ginger sauce (or any of the above alternatives)
1 cup diced pineapple (if canned, drain well)
1 . . . → Read More: Chili-Ginger Grilled Halibut with Fresh Pineapple Salsa
By mlb, on August 18th, 2006%
Here’s a quick recipe for a Friday cocktail. You will need:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 lemon, zest peeled off
1 big sprig rosemary + 1 small sprig
2 oz vodka (or 3 oz, depending on your mood)
ice
Add the sugar, your strips of lemon peel, rosemary and water in a small pot. Bring to a boil and let sugar dissolve while stirring. Remove from heat and let cool. Dig out lemon and rosemary and discard.
Combine 1/2 of your syrup (or a little less, depending on how sweet you wannt it), the juice of 1/2 a lemon, the vodka and some ice. Mix and strain out into a martini glass. See, you have enough lemon/rosemary syrup to make yourself another. Excellent. Garnish with a small piece of rosemary. I found this really nice as the scent of rosemary was very strong every time I took . . . → Read More: Herbal Fusion: Rosemary-Lemon Drop
By mlb, on August 17th, 2006%
This is intensely peachy and lightly thymey. It’s a great summer treat. I can’t believe how much I love my ice cream maker. It does so many things — gelatto, ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet and even frozen drinks. What can’t it do? Fine. It can’t knit a blanket. Whatever. Who wants to eat a blanket anyway?
I used chardonnay in this recipe but water will work just fine. I just happened to have an open bottle of wine on hand. The basic recipe is from the Ultimate Ice Cream Book, which is really coming quite indispensable around the house. You can peel the peaches if you like, but I think the flecks of darker color makes it look all pretty.
Peach & Thyme Sorbet
1 1/2 lb peaches, pitted and slices (4-5 peaches)
1/2 cup Chardonnay or similar white wine (or water)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
juice of 1 lemon (or a bit less if your lemon is super juicy)
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Combine the sugar, wine and corn syrup in a small pan. Place over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Boil without stirring for 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow . . . → Read More: Peach & Thyme Sorbet: It’s Very Good!
By mlb, on August 16th, 2006%
It’s always challenging to make a meal in a kitchen that is not your own. It’s even more so when the kitchen is a 5 foot by 3 foot area, with 2 pans, 1 1/2 feet of counter space, a dull chef’s knife, a yellowed, plastic spatula, and your starting ingredients are a pat of butter and a single-serving of orange juice leftover from the complimentary breakfast that morning.
It’s kind of like Port Townsend Iron Chef with the secret ingredient being whatever you can find within a four block radius of the hotel, carry back and turn into something edible using only the mismatched and bare minimum pans and cutlery supplied by the hotel. Okay, well, there’s not really a time limit or anything and you have no competition and uh, Alton Brown isn’t giving step-by-step commentary or anything but other than that it’s exactly like Iron Chef.
When we first got to the Bishop Hotel, room 14, we noticed a sign out our window announcing the Port Townsend Farmer’s Market every Saturday, from 9:30 – 1:30. That was the real inspiration for making a dinner in our room — well, that and our very . . . → Read More: Hotel Room Cooking: Stuffed Chicken with a Garlic-Orange Sauce and Chick Peas
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